TRNUC’s mandate extension necessary to complete determinations |03 September 2022
As the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) struggles to work through the 373 determinations, cabinet earlier this week approved an amendment to its parent Act to provide for the extension of its mandate until December 31, 2022.
The commission, whose mandate was due to end in August 2022, has thus far concluded around 220 determinations, and have an estimated 60 more in circulation among the Commissioners.
Determinations in a small number of cases are yet to be started, but are to be handled by the chairperson of the TRNUC Gabrielle Louise McIntyre, provided she successfully manages to secure a new contract with the Seychelles government, applicable for the same period as the extension.
“When we started off, we had no indication how many cases we would get. We ended up getting almost 500 cases, although some of them were non-admissible, as what they were claiming was not a violation of their civil rights,” vice- chairperson Michael Green relayed to Seychelles NATION.
“We have heard over 1200 witnesses. Now, we are consolidating all the files, making sure they are all complete, and that they all have an index as to what is in there, that all the documents are numbered and referenced. We have a mammoth task ahead of us,” Mr Green noted.
The commission was still hearing cases up until May, June this year, and is in the process of also compiling and finalising its report.
With a significant proportion already finalised, it is hoped that it will be presented to the President towards the end of November. The National Assembly is to be served a copy as well, and the public will then be able to access the document in its entirety.
“We can make recommendations, but we cannot decide on the amounts. There has been a lot of public reaction to some proposals which were put out by the Victim’s Committee. We have had meetings with them, and instead of a fixed amount, we have done our reparations policy, based on a floating-scale. So, there will be a body which will have to work out the exact amount for each case – as long as it is within that sliding-scale, as long as it is affordable to the government, and then, as long as it is proportional to the gravity of the violation,” Mr Green added.
The TRNUC was established in 2018 to bring about reconciliation and unity among the population, settling past political divisions and grievances resulting from the 1977 Coup d’état.
Despite the many shocking truths that were revealed through the commission’s proceedings, the process was necessary to provide closure to the many Seychellois and victims of human rights violations, a must in commencing the healing process for them, and for the country as well, Mr Green shared his perspective.
The amendment approved by cabinet is subject to the National Assembly’s approval.
Laura Pillay